


Mythic Messenger

by Mercurians, rixsig-writes (rixsig), StarlingHawke (Bowm8935)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Polyamory, mythical AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercurians/pseuds/Mercurians, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rixsig/pseuds/rixsig-writes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bowm8935/pseuds/StarlingHawke
Summary: Yoosung is desperate to find out who or what is behind his cousin Rika's sudden disappearance, and V won't give him any straight answers.But what he finds is, well... not what he was expecting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a collaborative fic written by three authors - Mercurians, Rixsig-writes, and StarlingHawke. We will try to update as much as possible - but keep in mind that we are three busy people. Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoy~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While looking for clues to help him figure out what happened to Rika, Yoosung stumbles upon an app quite unlike anything he's ever encountered before...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by StarlingHawke

It’s six months after her disappearance when Yoosung finds himself in the dusty confines of her apartment yet again. He comes here at least once every week, sometimes more often if he’s having a particularly bad day. There’s something about the beige walls covered with an eclectic collection of colorful decorations that makes him feel more at ease and closer to the vibrant, loving personality that had shone through his life and made him feel like he could do anything. It had seemed like the sun itself kissed her hair in reverence whenever she walked outside, and her smile outshone the beauty of the world around her. Dropping his keys in the small bowl by the door, he slides out of his shoes and turns to walk down the hallway to her study, the one place that still feels like she might return at any moment. The vase in the middle of the desk she used to work at has some lilies that are wilting, and he plucks them out to replace them with the new ones he brought with him. Next to the vase is a picture of an enchantingly beautiful woman with long, wavy blonde hair and large green eyes, grinning at the camera brightly while holding a light brown puppy against her cheek. Picking it up, he runs one finger across the glass, smiling sadly.

God, he misses her.

He’d only met Rika when he was sixteen, but his cousin had quickly changed his life in more ways than he could count. She had made him stronger and more confident in his decisions, pushing him with her gentle kindness to go to school for something he wanted to do rather than what their family wanted him to do. His parents were both teachers and had encouraged him most of his life to follow them, but when he’d showed interest in the veterinary field, they’d tried to deflect him to medicine. Still, Rika had been supportive of his dream, noting his natural talent with taking care of animals of any kind. He felt drawn to them, in a way; from the smallest bug to the largest animal he saw at the zoo, there was always an invisible thread connecting him to them. It was impossible to tell exactly _what_ that connection was, mostly because he was never allowed to interact with any for a long period of time. The most time he spent around any animal was Rika’s dog Sally, but even that wasn’t for long as she died shortly after he met her.

Rika was devastated, blaming herself; that only solidified his desire to be a vet. If he had been one at the time, surely he could’ve saved her… and maybe Rika in the process.

Setting the picture down, he winces at the loud noise the frame makes as it slams against the wood. Oops. He’s letting himself get worked up about it again, a course of action that doesn’t really help anyone. Allowing anger and despair to rule over him while he’s searching for clues to help him find her only drives him into tears when he can’t find anything in the first few minutes; he’s gone down this road too often in the past months. So instead he plants both of his palms on the cool surface of the desk, focusing on his breathing to try to center himself. Maybe something good has been coming from the therapy appointments his parents insist he goes to; even if it doesn’t seem to be helping him gain motivation to go to class more consistently.

_In, out. Inhale while counting to five, hold for three, release on five. Repeat. Calm down._

Running a shaking hand through his blond hair, he lets out a loud sigh before plopping down into the chair in front of her desk, pulling the stack of papers to him once again. It feels like he’s gone through these a million times by now, but he _must_ continue; there has to be some clues about what happened to her in here _somewhere_. People don’t just disappear without cause; certainly not people as happy and amazing as Rika, anyway. She must’ve met someone or somehow became caught up in a bad deal with her charity work, and he’s determined to find out where it went wrong.

He’s shuffling through the papers again when one falls to the floor, the small draft from the ceiling fan carrying it under the desk. Blinking at it blankly, he pushes back the chair and bends down, trying to grasp it between his outstretched hands. Dang, just a bit out of reach. The chair emits a soft squeal when he drops off of it to the floor, his knees slamming into the ground harder than he expected. Letting out a soft groan at the dull throbbing, he crawls under the desk and manages to snatch the paper from where it lays half-hidden under the drawer. He backs up, almost out from under it when something glints off to the side and he jumps, slamming his head on the wood.

“Wha?” he murmurs, gingerly rubbing the back of his head as he peeks at where the glimmer of light had came from. There’s something there, and he reaches out tentative fingers to rub what appears to be a small keyhole tucked away at the back of the bottom drawer. Eyebrows drawn, he pushes himself out and sits up on his knees, pulling out the tray that holds an array of pens and other things found in an office, including a set of keys. Grabbing them, he shoves it closed and squints at the different shapes of metal in front of him, carefully going through them until he finds one that he doesn’t recognize. Scrunching his mouth to the side, he dips back under the desk and crawls over to where the lock is, sliding in the key slowly. There’s a satisfying _click_ and he anxiously tugs at the corners of the barely-there lines, managing to coax out the hidden drawer in time.

Inside is a binder, well-used and filled with all sorts of things; business cards, flyers, pamphlets, a planner. _Jackpot_ , Yoosung thinks as he elbows the drawer closed, dropping to his stomach to start looking through it there. Flipping through the pages of the planner first, a thrill of excitement shoots through him at how every day contains a schedule, written in her precise and delicate handwriting. This is _exactly_ what he’s been looking for.

Some pictures are placed carefully between pages, and he allows himself a minute to stop and look at them, eyebrows shooting up at this look into a part of her life he’s never seen before; there’s one with her presenting a bouquet of roses to a rather handsome man - he wracks his brain for why this particular guy looks familiar, but he can’t come up with an answer so he moves on - that appears to be outside of a theater. The next one shows her next to a pair of redheads - twins, possibly? - with that radiant smile he misses so much shining through. Then comes a group shot with many people he doesn’t know, but there are two familiar faces among the crowd: Rika and V.

A scowl creeps across Yoosung’s face as he stares down at the blue-haired man; he’s been avoiding V on purpose lately, convinced that the older man knows more about Rika’s disappearance than he’s letting on. They used to be really close, and deep down Yoosung hopes they will retain that, but for now… for now he’s letting himself be angry.

Shaking his head, he moves on through the planner, stopping at the week Rika disappeared. Most of the days are filled with things he associates with her; meeting with the heads of companies who are interested in her helping them throw a party for charity, gathering guests, volunteering nearly every day somewhere. Her nights seemed to revolve primarily around V, which is not so much of a surprise, but there was a night later in the week she’d attended something else. He taps his finger lightly on the pencil on the page that lists the letters “RSSA” boldly, an event listed to take place from 6-9 pm. There is no location written down, unlike everything else he’s seen. Frowning, he decides to flip through some of the papers that are shoved in folders in the binder.

But first he needs to move; the floor is harsh and unforgiving under him, causing his elbows to start aching. Shutting the book gingerly, he scoots out quickly, unable to contain his excitement over the possibility of finally getting some answers. The chair is halfway across the room by now, having rolled there when he carelessly kicked it after laying down on the floor. Placing the planner on the desk, he stretches his arms above his head for a moment before retrieving it, moving it back to where it should be and sitting down.

The outside of each folder is marked with a number and they’re all in chronological order. It takes a bit of searching for him to find, but on the inside cover of the planner there’s a list that states what number belongs to what event. Yoosung is pleased to see that the RSSA is listed as number seven and it doesn’t take him long to locate the red folder containing the relevant documents. It’s a little disappointing to him that it’s nearly empty, but there’s a list of names with a few crossed off and some letters scribbled next them as well as a list addressed to someone called “Luciel.” He tries to make sense of the random letters first; Rika is at the top of the list, so he ponders those next to her name first: AFY. _A… fantastic… youth? Always follow you?_ Shaking his head, he looks down at the next person: Jaehee, SLK. Nothing comes to mind for those either. Moving on, he looks over the list addressed to Luciel. It seems like she was writing down things that needed to be fixed or improved, most of them foreign to him. One thing catches his eye, though:

_11: Please make sure the app is no longer available on the app store._

His heart skips a beat; an app? Could this be something relevant? Hastily he pulls out his phone, unlocking it and opening the app store immediately. Thumb hovering over the search button, he realizes he doesn’t know what he’s looking for. Furrowing his eyebrows in thought, he slowly types in the letters ‘RSSA’ and hits enter, hoping against hope that it will be easy to find.

Bingo.

There it is, an app titled “For the RSSA members” and with a description that only says “You know who u are.” He downloads it without hesitation, drumming his fingers against the desk in rhythm to one of his favorite songs. It doesn’t take very long and he immediately opens it, holding his breath in anticipation. It asks him to log in via a scan of his thumb (odd, but okay) and he searches the screen to find an option to register. Upon the discovery there is none, he shrugs and pushes his thumb into the screen, blinking in surprise when it successfully moves on to the next stage, asking him to set up a username and choose his race.

Except the choices for race are quite different than what he’s used to.

 _Banshee, fairy, ghost? What is this, a game?_ Scrolling through the different options provided, he quirks an eyebrow before deciding to just go with it - after all, maybe Rika was into some sort of Dark Places and Large Lizards thing. If that’s all this is, he’ll be disappointed, but maybe… maybe he’ll have found something to take his mind off of her. After looking through the list again, he ends up choosing to be a vampire - not something he’d normally choose, but until he knows more of what this is about, he’s just going to roll with it.

There’s a screen talking about secrecy and not revealing the existence of this app to “The Humans,” and then he’s dropped into a chat room.

 

> ZEN: The director wants to schedule our showings over the full moon…  
>  ZEN: I need to figure out a good excuse to get him to change it.  
>  707: lolol  
>  707: This is why u shouldn’t be an actor~  
>  707: Too much danger~  
>  Jaehee Kang: It would be terrible to deprive the world of Zen’s talent.  
>  ZEN: I agree.  
>  ZEN: My talent, my beauty… I need to share this with everyone!  
>  Jumin Han: Luciel is correct. It is not safe for you to have such a public job.  
>  ZEN: Who asked you?  
>  Yoosung★: Hi?  
>  707: !!!!  
>  707: _A wild Yoosung has appeared!_  
>  ZEN: What is a Yoosung;;;  
>  Jaehee Kang: I was not aware we had any new members?  
>  707: Ooooh! A vampire.  
>  707: _Welcome, fellow creature of the night._  
>  Jumin Han: Another vampire. Wonderful. As if you and your brother are not enough for us to handle.  
>  707: **Hey.**  
>  707: **We are nothing if not awesome~**  
>  Yoosung★: Uhhh. So is this like… a role-playing game or something?

There’s a burst of random chatter at his question, primarily from the one called 707 spamming the room with shocked emojis and keysmashes. Yoosung makes a face at the screen, sitting back in the chair and scratching his head. If this is a game, it’s certainly a weird one; the other people here seemed to be more or less idly chatting until he spoke up. Well, since he’s here, he may as well ask the question that brought him here.

 

> Yoosung★: Sorry if I upset anyone T_T  
>  Yoosung★: That wasn’t my intention.  
>  Jumin Han: Luciel, do you have anything on the new person yet?  
>  707: lolol of course lolol  
>  707: Just who do you think you’re talking to?  
>  707: I’ve got his information right here!  
>  Yoosung★: M-my information? ;;;  
>  Yoosung★: W-what do you mean?  
>  707: Oooooh, he’s cute.  
>  707: And harmless.  
>  707: Not a vampire, as far as I can tell.  
>  Yoosung★: …  
>  707: Oh… no, he’s definitely not a vampire.  
>  ZEN: Thank god... but cute, huh? ;)  
>  Yoosung★: ?? Are you talking irl? Because of course I’m not actually a vampire… vampires aren’t real…

A few moments go by without any response; he can see the other members typing, but then they stop, either deleting the messages before they send or changing their mind. He shifts in the chair slightly, a feeling of unease growing within him at how the conversation has proceeded thus far. Did 707 really look him up? _How?_ And… did he really think he’s cute?

 

> Yoosung★: Um, sorry. I seem to be making a lot of mistakes, I’m new to this;;;  
>  Yoosung★: I’m a quick learner if you guys want to teach me the rules later, but for now…  
>  Yoosung★: I wanted to ask if any of you knew Rika?

More silence, except this time it doesn’t appear that anyone is even trying to answer him. Frustrated, he clicks his tongue once before typing out another message.

 

> Yoosung★: She’s my cousin, and she’s missing… and I found a reference to this app in her binder… I’m just trying to find her, please. T_T  
>  Jumin Han: Luciel?  
>  707: What he says is true… he is her cousin. He’s also at her apartment right now.  
>  Jaehee Kang: So he’s her cousin… but doesn’t know about the RSSA. Is he human?  
>  707: He wouldn’t have been let in here if he were _completely_ human, but he’s definitely _part_ human.  
>  ZEN: Rika was fae, right?  
>  ZEN: So is he…?  
>  Yoosung★: You guys aren’t making any sense T_T  
>  Yoosung★: I-if you can’t take my question seriously, then there’s no reason for me to be here.  
>  Yoosung★: This was a mistake, I’m sorry.

Logging out of the app quickly, he sniffs and brushes the back of his hand against his eyes; when had they filled with tears? No matter, he needs to keep looking through the binder and planner to see what else he can find. Obviously the RSSA isn’t going to be any help, since they’re too caught up in their game to even bother trying to be useful. He shoves the two lists back into the folder roughly, not caring that one rips partially by catching on the pocket. What’s it matter when he doesn’t plan to ever use them again?

The next few hours go by faster than he thinks, and when he looks at his phone after he finishes scouring the rest of the binder, he’s shocked to see it’s nearly midnight. Jamming his palms into his eyes, he rubs at them to try to help wake himself up. The search turned up nothing new; the only thing he noticed is that the RSSA was a recurring theme in Rika’s life. There was an event- probably a meeting- scheduled monthly, always on the third Thursday of the month and as far as he could tell, Rika always attended. But it didn’t end there.

There were little boxes marked off several times a week that indicated some time scheduled to do something with them, but it’s one of the few things she doesn’t specify about, leaving him in the dark. Yet one thing was obvious; she was _very_ involved in the RSSA. The occurrences start to taper off in the immediate months leading up to her disappearance, and he doesn’t know if that’s important or not but right now it’s the only thing he finds that changes.

He sighs and flips to the current month to check if the mysterious meeting was still scheduled, and yes, there it is, on the third Thursday, just like usual. Maybe he’ll have better luck if he actually attends a meeting versus messing around in an app. The only problem is the location…

There’s someone who can help him with that, though. Picking up his phone, his fingers fly across the screen as he selects a number he hasn’t called in a while, staring at the packed bookcase along the wall as he waits for an answer. It’s late, too late to call someone normally, but tonight he doesn’t care if he wakes him up. Tonight he will get an answer from him, even if it’s only this one.

When the ringing stops and a sleepy voice answers, he leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Hello, V. I have a question for you.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mercurians wrote this one! I hope you enjoy~

V’s apartment is the same as Yoosung remembers it, and that concerns him.

It’s the kind of home you’d expect an artist to have: neat, color-coordinated, and minimally-designed without feeling sparse. The matching furniture comes in neutral beige and brown tones, accented here and there by brighter teals and yellows. On the walls, V has hung paintings and photographs of varying sizes. Some are obviously his own work, others the work of artists that Yoosung isn’t familiar with. Overall, the apartment is sophisticated without feeling sterile. And it’s clean. The floors are spotless, the coffee table is bare apart from a few coasters, and nothing around appears to have changed since Yoosung’s last visit.

That last part is what bothers him. Six months after his fiance’s disappearance, V doesn’t seem different at all. He expected... maybe not a _mess_ , but evidence that a distraught man lives here. Yoosung’s own living space is riddled with empty soda cans, backed up dishes, old photographs, and mementos that Rika left behind. His grief and worry over Rika have left him struggling in such obvious ways. In V’s home, there’s not even a dish or a folder out of place.

Yoosung’s train of thought is interrupted when V calls from the kitchen. “Have you eaten? I have snacks, if you’re interested.”

Is he stalling? Yoosung frowns. “N-no,” he calls back. “Just the coffee is fine.”

“All right. Just a moment, then.”

Yoosung scowls at the entrance to the kitchen from his place on the couch. He probably should’ve turned down V’s offer for coffee, but he didn’t want to start their difficult conversation off on a tense note. He didn’t realize that V would take so long in the kitchen. What, was he grinding the beans himself in there?

While he waits, Yoosung remembers their phone conversation for what feels like the hundredth time.

“A question?” Despite the sleepiness in his voice, V had sounded relaxed and self-assured, as usual. “Of course. What do you need to know?”

Yoosung wasted no time getting straight to his point. “What is the RSSA?”

For a moment, V was completely silent. “... Yoosung, where are you right now?”

“I knew it!” In his excitement, Yoosung had stood up from his chair. “It’s something important, isn’t it? It’s something important about Rika!”

“Yoosung, I don’t know what you found, but I can assure you that it’s _not_ the information that you’re looking for.”

“I found it in her _planner_ ,” Yoosung had said forcefully. His mind was racing. “She did things with this... this _group_ several times a week. Try to tell me that’s not important.”

“Rika was always very busy,” V said, but the firmness in his tone was fading fast, leaving behind a kind of reluctance. “She involved herself with many groups and projects.”

“I know that, V! I know. The charity work, the community service, the art and theatre events.... I know about all of those things. But I never heard about the RSSA until just now.” Yoosung clenched his shirt in his fist, the impact of that truth hitting him twice as hard as he voiced it out loud. “How could that be? What was she hiding from me?”

V said nothing. After allowing the silence to drag on for only a few seconds, Yoosung continued.

“I’m not saying it has anything to do with her disappearance. N-not directly, but.... There has to be something important that I’m missing, right?”

“Yoosung....” He thought he could hear V sighing on the other line. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow? We should talk about this in person. After we’ve both slept.”

Yoosung had agreed to it. He waited through the excruciatingly slow day of classes and a long bus ride to V’s apartment, and now, he’s sitting in V’s living room waiting for a cup of coffee he doesn’t even want.

He takes a series of deep breaths, the way his therapist taught him. There’s no use in getting worked up just yet.

V returns a minute later with two mugs of coffee in hand. He places one on a coaster in front of Yoosung and brings the other one with him to the other side of the table, settling into an armchair and holding it in his lap. Yoosung glances at the steaming mug of coffee for a moment, but he decides not to take it. Not yet.

Surprisingly, V starts talking first. “I’m sorry for making you wait,” he says. “But I genuinely felt that this conversation should happen in person.”

“What is the RSSA?” Voicing the words that have been echoing in his mind all day, Yoosung looks V directly in the eye. He’s sitting tall, trying to exude confidence. It’s easier now, when he feels he has the upper hand.

“The RSSA is a support group that Rika used to lead. Those who joined did so on very private circumstances, which is why you never heard the details. Rather than hiding something from you, she was merely trying to protect the identities and secrets of those involved.”

Yoosung’s shoulders slack. V said it all so simply, so clearly and to the point. Yoosung is caught off-guard, but even more than that, he’s confused.

“A support group?” Yoosung says.

“That’s right.”

“That’s....” Impossible, right? V has to be lying. Unless.... “Then was everyone in the group... um, delusional?”

V stirs a little in his seat, and for a fraction of a second, Yoosung watches his eyebrows twitch. “What do you mean?”

“I- I don’t know the correct term,” Yoosung admits. “Sorry if that’s wrong. At first I thought everyone in the messenger was doing some fantasy roleplay, but if it’s a support group, then that means....”

“You got into the _messenger_.” For just a moment, V’s eyes widen, and the coffee cup in his hand tilts nearly enough to spill over. He recovers quickly, but not fast enough to get past Yoosung.

“You’re lying,” Yoosung says flatly. His hands ball up at his knees. “There’s something else you’re not telling me. V, why won’t you just tell me the truth?” V starts to respond, but for Yoosung, it feels like a dam has burst. He keeps going, speaking louder, a restrained sob evident in his quivering voice. “Rika was your fiance, but she’s _my_ blood relative. Her family cares about her too, you know. So why are you keeping secrets? Do you even care about finding out what happened to her?”

The room is silent then. Yoosung feels guilty for what he said, but not _too_ guilty. Still, the heartbroken expression on V’s face is something he can’t deny. It’s the most earnest response he’s seen from V in months.

V sets his coffee cup down gently, but the clack of it meeting the table sounds too loud in the quiet room. When he responds, he’s looking Yoosung straight in the eye. “Of course I do. I know that you care about her, Yoosung, and so do I. I’m... I’m so sorry that nothing I can say helps you believe me.”

“Tell me about the RSSA,” Yoosung says evenly.

“I’ve told you the truth. It was a support group.”

“I have their messenger, V. You know I can talk to them myself. I could find out where they meet, and I could ask them about Rika.” He’s surprised by how confident he sounds. “You _can’t_ hide this from me.”

“I know,” V says, closing his eyes as though deep in thought. He exhales softly. “Please understand—Rika kept this from you for a reason. If you dig deeper, you may find things that frighten you. Things that she never wanted you to know. And you won’t find the answers that you’re looking for.”

For the first time, Yoosung feels certain that V is telling the truth. It’s as though a layer of pretense has dropped, and there’s something frank in the sound of his voice. Still, none of it changes Yoosung's mind. “I’m not afraid of that. I want to know what she was hiding.”

There’s a long silence before V responds. “Please consider it carefully, Yoosung. Don’t make this decision lightly.”

Yoosung stands up, ignoring the untouched cup of coffee still sitting on the table, and moves to the door. He’s finished here. “Thanks for nothing,” he mutters, just loud enough that he hopes V can hear it. Opening the door, he’s stopped by V’s voice.

“Yoosung.”

Yoosung turns stiffly, glaring hard.

“If you... decide to dig deeper....” V pauses. “If you find out about the RSSA, come back and talk to me. We’ll have more to discuss.”

Yoosung gawks at him. “Do you _want_ me to dig deeper or _not_ , V?”

“I don’t,” V says. “It’s not what Rika wanted, and beyond that, I believe you’ll regret it. But if you disregard my advice, the least I can do is explain.”

Shuffling his feet in the doorway, Yoosung contemplates a response. “O... okay.” The word sounds dumb and weak the second it leaves his mouth, but he can’t think of a better follow up on the spot. Yoosung considers slamming the door when he leaves. He doesn’t.

 

 

 

Yoosung doesn’t take V’s advice. He doesn’t ignore the questions in his mind, and in fact, he barely stops to think before reentering the RSSA messenger that night. Yoosung gets to his apartment after an excruciatingly slow bus ride home, microwaves leftovers for dinner, and settles on the couch to open the app.

It requests to scan his thumbprint yet again upon startup, and this time, Yoosung presses his thumb to the screen without hesitation. When the app brings him yet again to its caution screen, he stops to read it more carefully. The screen shows plain white letters juxtaposed on a deep red background, and it gives a strong sense of officiality.

> _Disclaimer:_
> 
> _In using the RSSA Messenger app, you consent to our policy of confidentiality. No sensitive information shared within this chatroom is to be communicated to non-RSSA members, whether Human or Mythic. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to the identities, experiences, beliefs, or locations of other members. Furthermore, by proceeding, you agree to protect the secrecy of the RSSA Messenger app from The Humans._
> 
> _Please be wary of your surroundings when using this messenger. Remember that, as always, protecting your identity from The Humans is of utmost importance._

The page ends with an “Agree” button, but Yoosung pauses to reread the disclaimer a few more times before proceeding. The word “Mythic” now catches his attention. In these two paragraphs of official-looking text, it stands out, like weird jargon in a fantasy novel. Aren’t they a little embarrassed, looking at this screen every time they log in?

Maybe it’s just V’s mysterious warnings getting in his head. But for the first time, Yoosung considers the possibility that this is something real. That maybe there are vampires and fairies and other mythical creatures using this app, and Rika is related to them somehow. Yoosung rubs his eyes, feeling a headache start to form. He really needs to stop thinking so desperately.

After hitting Agree, Yoosung is dropped once more into the chatroom. This time, only two users appear to be online. He recognizes their usernames from last time.

> [ _Yoosung has entered the chatroom._ ]  
>  Yoosung★: Hey....  
>  ZEN: Woah!  
>  Jaehee Kang: !!  
>  Jaehee Kang: He’s back...  
>  Yoosung★: Sorry for intruding again, but I need help.  
>  Yoosung★: I was told you could give me answers about Rika.  
>  Yoosung★: V told me. Jihyun Kim? Do you know him?  
>  ZEN: V said that?

It’s not exactly a lie—V _did_ suggest that they could answer his questions. Yoosung feels a bit guilty for stretching the truth, but if it gets him closer to Rika, then it’s worth it. The reaction from “ZEN” gives him hope.

> ZEN: Did you know about this, Jaehee?  
>  Jaehee Kang: I didn’t.  
>  Jaehee Kang: Regardless, I’m going to call for Luciel and Mr. Han.  
>  Jaehee Kang: I think they should be present for this.  
>  ZEN: Ugh, we really have to get both those guys involved?  
>  Yoosung★: Who?  
>  ZEN: I was finally having a relaxing night, too....

Yoosung frowns when the chat falls silent. He can guess that Jaehee Kang is off calling the two members she mentioned, but ZEN is just ignoring his question. After a couple minutes of waiting while his headache intensifies, Yoosung interjects again.

> Yoosung★: Please don’t ignore me;;  
>  Yoosung★: I’m sorry for interrupting, but I just have a few questions.  
>  ZEN: Oops. Sorry, babe.  
>  ZEN: How rude of me not to keep you entertained. ;)

Yoosung blinks at the phone. Suddenly he wishes he hadn’t said anything.

> ZEN: You know, I haven’t forgotten that Seven said you were cute.  
>  Yoosung★: I’m just looking for information about Rika ;;;;  
>  ZEN: Right... Your cousin.  
>  ZEN: You must miss her, huh?  
>  ZEN: We all do.  
>  Yoosung★: You do??  
>  Jaehee Kang: I informed Mr. Han and Luciel of our… visitor.  
>  Jaehee Kang: They should be here soon.  
>  ZEN: Great....  
>  Jaehee Kang: In the meantime, I think we should refrain from sharing _any_ information.  
>  ZEN: Really? But he seems nice enough.  
>  ZEN: Is it such a big deal?  
>  Jaehee Kang: His intentions are still unclear, and information about this group is strictly private to begin with.  
>  ZEN: If he’s Rika’s cousin then he can’t be all that bad.  
>  ZEN: Then again, she tended to keep weird company....  
>  [ _707 has entered the chatroom._ ]  
>  707: Your savior has arrived!  
>  [ _Jumin Han has entered the chatroom._ ]  
>  ZEN: Perfect timing;;

Yoosung remembers both 707 and Jumin Han from his last visit. Suddenly, the chat is back up to those same four members, and they’re all chattering busily. Yoosung has to wonder, is that a coincidence? How many others could there be? He doesn’t have long to dwell on it before his attention is called back to the chat.

> Jaehee Kang: He claims that V sent him.  
>  Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, did you know about this?  
>  Jumin Han: I did not.  
>  ZEN: Well is it possible V just didn’t tell you?  
>  Jumin Han: It’s unlikely,  
>  Jumin Han: but V can be unpredictable at times.  
>  Yoosung★: You guys all know V?  
>  707: He speaks!  
>  Yoosung★: Please, V said that you could give me answers.  
>  Yoosung★: He and I are close.

Again, he stretches the truth. But the response it earns him again seems to be worth it.

> Jumin Han: I can verify with V later.  
>  Jumin Han: For now, please explain what information you’re looking for.

Yoosung sighs. The chatroom falls completely silent as the members anticipate his response. He begins typing, and as the page stays still, he adds onto his response. If he can get it out all at once, it’ll save them all trouble.

> Yoosung★: My name is Yoosung Kim. Rika is my cousin. She and I were really close before she disappeared, and I even helped with her charity work. I guess you’d all know that Rika disappeared six months ago, and no one seems to know why.... I didn’t know about the RSSA, but I know that Rika was really involved with it. V said there’s private information that you can share with me. Please, I think any information can help. I knew Rika really well. Maybe I could even help find her...? But I need to know everything.  
>  Yoosung★: ... Please.  
>  ZEN: ...  
>  Jaehee Kang: Luciel?  
>  707: The stuff about Rika and the charity work checks out.  
>  707: Lotta pictures of them on her old social media pages.  
>  707: The stuff about V, I have no idea.  
>  Jaehee Kang: I see....  
>  ZEN: So he doesn’t even know that she was... and he’s...?  
>  Yoosung★: That we’re what?  
>  Jaehee Kang: It _is_ a bit concerning.  
>  ZEN: It’s messed up.  
>  707: Parents can have weird reasoning for things like this....  
>  Yoosung★: What are you all talking about?  
>  ZEN: You’re not seriously defending it, are you?!  
>  707: Of course not.  
>  707: He has the right to know.  
>  ZEN: Good....  
>  Jaehee Kang: But is it our place...?  
>  Yoosung★: Hello??  
>  Jumin Han: Yoosung.

All chattering in the chat ceases when Jumin Han says his name. Yoosung has forgotten his headache. He stares at the screen, eyes fixed on the text that indicates that Jumin Han is typing. It’s a long pause, but when his message finally goes through, it’s fairly brief.

> Jumin Han: The RSSA meets every third Thursday of the month, which happens to fall just three days from now.  
>  Jumin Han: Luciel will send you the exact time and location.  
>  Jumin Han: ... That’s 707.  
>  707: Hiii~  
>  Jumin Han: We hope that you’ll attend. There will be much to discuss.

Yoosung rests his forehead against his knees. Again, he’s getting the “I’ll tell you in person” treatment. Still, this time feels much more promising. They all seem genuinely concerned about... whatever it is Yoosung doesn’t know. Maybe this time he’ll get real information.

> Yoosung★: You really can’t tell me now?  
>  Jaehee Kang: Unfortunately, I think this is for the best.  
>  ZEN: We’ll definitely be... more _convincing_ in real life.  
>  707: lolol you just wanna flirt in person.  
>  ZEN: Will you cut it out. -_-  
>  707: Zen’s right, though. IRL will be better.  
>  707: Just be patient, okay cutie~?

All four members in agreement. Fine. Yoosung will wait, but not without one last push.

> Yoosung★: Can I just ask a couple things?  
>  Yoosung★: What does RSSA stand for? How did you all get involved? How much was V involved?  
>  707: That’s....  
>  Jumin Han: It’s Rika’s Supernatural Support Association.  
>  Jumin Han: For everything else, it would be best that you wait for the meeting.

 

 

 

Yoosung can barely sleep the next two nights. He lies in bed, tossing the blankets off of his body and pulling them back on, rolling onto his side, his back, unable to get comfortable. He knows it’s all psychological, but still, he gets out of bed twice on Wednesday night to readjust his thermostat. He flips over his pillow each time the surface grows hot, and each time, he thinks of the two possibilities he may face on Thursday night.

On one hand, he might stumble into a support group for an illness he can barely comprehend. Something that makes people believe that supernatural creatures, “Mythics” as the app called them, really exist. He can’t shake the feeling of impending guilt at the idea of intruding on such a sensitive space. Yoosung also can’t imagine how Rika could get involved with that kind of group, but it makes sense that she would want to help.

He has to wonder: could Rika have gotten involved because she shared a common experience? Did she have... delusions like that? It could explain her disappearance. It could even explain V’s reluctance to tell Yoosung the truth.

And when Yoosung flips over the pillow, he considers the reverse. On Thursday, he could meet the most dedicated group of roleplayers he could even imagine. Would they show up in costume? Would they be willing to break character in real life? Yoosung admits to himself, this possibility is even less realistic. It explains nothing about Rika’s disappearance _or_ V’s fear. But it _is_ a nicer idea. Easier to entertain. More disappointing, sure, but far less frightening.

Yoosung rolls over onto his stomach. The pillow is warm against his cheek, almost uncomfortably so. He stares at the digital clock on his nightstand. It’s 2:52 AM. He’ll be mad at himself in the morning, but no breathing techniques or mindfulness exercise have managed to cease his racing thoughts.

Of course, there is a third option. The option where all of this is real. Mythics, vampires, fairies.... And Rika, somehow, knew all about them.

Yoosung shuts his eyes tight. He _really_ needs to sleep more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's written by rixsig-writes! hope you enjoy~♥

Three days pass in an intolerable crawl until Yoosung lies wide awake in his bed the morning of the RSSA meeting, staring at the new text on his phone with the meeting’s time and location and trying to stave off his panic. He’s been trying so hard recently to reclaim all the ground he lost in his studies, trying to drag himself to classes and occasionally even succeeding, but even though he makes it to them that day he passes through them all in a haze, mind flip-flopping constantly between fear and excitement.

He doesn’t know what he’s expecting when he makes his way there after sunset. Maybe some person’s house, like they rotate through the members every month or something. Maybe some bland room in bland building filled with a table and folding chairs like any other low-budget club for dead-end adults. (And yes, okay, he admits it. He did think about an abandoned warehouse where no one would hear him scream. He already knows it’s ridiculous, but  _ what if _ ?)

Instead he walks into an opulent hotel—the kind of place where one piece of furniture looks like it could pay for his entire college experience—and is spotted immediately by a sharply dressed bellhop who calls him “Esteemed Mr. Kim” and leads him through a bewildering maze of hallways and doors. They stop in front of an ornate set of double doors at a dead end with a plaque that reads Sitting Room #7 and at least three different thoughts with the word ‘mistake’ in them revolve around his head at once.

Yoosung wants to go home. He’s overwhelmed and underdressed and nervous, but he squares his shoulders and glares at those closed doors in determination. He’s not here to be comfortable, he’s here to get answers. He’s going to find out what happened to Rika no matter what he has to do. He’ll face down roleplayers. He’ll face down delusional people. If he has to, he’ll even...he’ll even face down—

The bellhop raps sharply on the door. “I’ve brought Mr. Kim as requested, Mr. Han.”

“Let him in,” A deep voice calls from inside.

Yoosung takes a breath and braces himself as the bellhop turns the handle and opens the door. He gestures for Yoosung to enter, but Yoosung is too busy gaping at the plush carpet, the chandelier, and the polished wood walls gleaming, covered with carved murals. Gold brocade shimmers from the cushioned chairs and sofas, and crystal bowls and platters filled with artfully arranged hors d’oeuvres sit on a table with clawed legs. There’s no music playing in the background, but if there was Yoosung imagines it would have to be something classical, with piano or strings or something.

The bellhop coughs discreetly.

“O-oh! Uh, sorry. I’ll...um. Thank you!” Yoosung sketches a jerky half-bow and jolts into the room. His gaze lands first on a tall man with dark hair and a commanding aura who has his piercing eyes leveled straight at him, but before he can even open his mouth to say anything a teasing wolf-whistle pierces the air. Yoosung’s eyes dart to the other side of the room, where a stunningly pale man with silver hair is...is...giving him a once-over? Is that really…? Um... 

“You really weren’t kidding, Seven,” The man says with an appreciative grin, “For once. He’s cute. Yoosung, right?”

Yoosung is completely caught off guard for a good second or two, flushing. Who  _ does _ that? Yoosung’s never been hit on this obviously in his life. But it really makes him think of that one in the messenger...what was the username? It was weird…

“Zen?” Yoosung guesses.

“Oh~” The man replies, pleased, “You remembered me? I must have made an impression.”

The man, Zen, grins again. Yoosung zeroes in on it, and something that’s been bugging Yoosung ever since the man first started talking finally clicks. Oh. He’s wearing these, like, halloween fang things. Yoosung’s heart sinks a little. A small, impossible part of him was hoping that he’d be proven wrong, that all of this fantasy creature stuff was just a bad joke, but this one guy wearing fake fangs singlehandedly shatters that fragile hope with just one confident smile. 

Well that’s it then. Yoosung’s stuck standing in the middle of this stupidly fancy room, afraid to touch anything, surrounded by a group of people that are either weirdo roleplayers at best or people suffering from delusions at worst. Which he has no experience dealing with. What if he makes things worse? Is he supposed to play along or is he supposed to try correcting them? Yoosung’s head throbs. 

“Hey,” Zen’s tone changes and he steps closer, “Dude, are you alright? We’ve got a lot of ugly furniture around if you need to rest for a second. Here, let me—”

“Why do you keep finding it necessary to slander the furniture?” The deep voice speaks again, cutting in, and Yoosung realizes it comes from the imposing dark-haired man he’d spotted earlier. Mr. Han. Shuffling through his memories of the usernames he comes up with the full name: Jumin Han. He looks pretty normal as far as Yoosung can tell. Well, besides the extremely expensive-looking suit. “You’ve already informed everyone at length that you don’t like my choice of meeting place.” 

“Great, then maybe you should take the hint and pick someplace else next time.” 

“Make some suggestions and I might consider them.”

“Hey!” Zen yelps, “I made plenty of suggestions!”

“Make  _ good _ suggestions and I might consider them.” Mr. Han hides a smirk behind his wine glass.

The only response Zen makes is an eerily convincing growl, advancing a step towards Mr. Han with fists clenched. Yoosung can’t help but tense up. They’re not going to fight are they…?

But a man sitting off alone in the corner that Yoosung hadn’t noticed before gets up to his feet, tossing a laptop on the seat cushion where he’d been sitting and putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he saunters toward them, head cocked and smiling with a hard look in his eyes.

“Down boy,” He admonishes, wagging a finger in Zen’s face, “Doggies that can’t control themselves don’t get to run around outside doing whatever they want~”

Zen bristles. “I can control myself just fine. I don’t need you telling me what I can and can’t do, Seven.”

“Says the guy with his teeth out already.” The man, Seven, laughs. This must be 707 from the messenger. Or...Luciel? That’s what Jumin and the other member, Jaehee, called him anyway.

“We’re telling him anyway, right?” Zen shrugs uncomfortably, “What’s it matter?”

Seven’s eyes flicker to Yoosung and a manic grin spreads on his face. “Oh I see~ Your instincts getting to you? Feeling the need to show off?” 

A real growl rips from Zen’s throat, mouth twisting into a snarl, and Seven flies back a few steps, eyes wide and hands upraised. Yoosung freezes and fixates on those teeth and those bared gums in a stunned daze, heart thumping. Can halloween teeth look this real? Yoosung keeps scrambling for plausible explanations. Maybe he’s a makeup artist? Or...or maybe they have a makeup artist for the whole group? That Mr. Han looks like he could afford it…

“What a way to make a first impression,” Seven drawls, lowering his hands, “You’re only proving my point right now, you know.”

Zen immediately drops his aggressive stance and looks to Yoosung. Yoosung flinches. The reaction looks like it tears Zen up a little and he turns to face Yoosung completely, ignoring everyone else, his face contrite. “Sorry,” he says, “I didn’t mean to scare you. These guys just—”

The door opens again and a short-haired, sharply dressed woman enters. She looks up from the pile of paperwork in her hands and stops short at the scene in front of her, blinking rapidly. “Ah, I see he’s arrived on time.” She walks over to Mr. Han and hands the paperwork over. “The agreement with the new mineral ingredients supplier. These all require your signature. I’ve looked them over, they’re compliant.”

“Good work, Assistant Kang.” Mr. Han sets aside his glass, accepts the paperwork, and takes an ornate-looking pen out of his slacks, already skimming through and initialing each page as he goes. “That will be all for now. You’re released from duty until the end of the meeting.”

The woman relaxes a little out of her ramrod straight posture and refocuses on Yoosung. She approaches and offers a hand. Yoosung hesitates, then shakes it. “It’s good to meet you in person. I’m Jaehee Kang, selkie, Mr. Han’s assistant and member of the RSSA.” 

“Selk...ie…?” Yoosung asks, picking out the word he’s never heard before. It has to be a part of their...Mythics thing. Whatever it is.

Jaehee instantly looks more tired. “I’ll explain it when we’re discussing everything else.”

“Uh, okay…” Yoosung doesn’t know if he can handle ‘everything else.’ His head’s already swimming and he’s only been here ten minutes. Ordinarily he might be fascinated with this sort of thing. His past self might have been brimming with questions and just as much enthusiasm despite how weird this whole situation is, but right now he just wants to know what they know about his cousin. That’s all he’s wanted for months. For someone to just give him a scrap of information about her, where she’s gone, something to hold on to.

Jaehee gives him a brisk nod and goes off to the food table, picking up a plate and loading it up with the shrimp and those fancy-looking crackers with the salmon and orange fish eggs on top.

“Ack, I can’t believe we forgot about the introductions!” Zen says, throwing Yoosung a disarming smile. His teeth look normal now. Did he take the halloween teeth out when Yoosung wasn’t looking? But Yoosung can’t see anywhere Zen could have put them...

“I guess I got distracted~” Zen continues teasingly, holding out his own hand and waiting patiently for Yoosung to work up the courage to shake it. “I’m Zen, devastatingly handsome musical actor, werewolf, and member of the RSSA. Call on me anytime, babe.” His lighthearted tone goes quieter, turns a little more solemn. “Forgive me for earlier?”

Yoosung is still reeling from someone calling themselves a werewolf in real life, but he manages to eke out a response. “Yeah. Just, uh...don’t do it again?”  

“You got it.” Zen winks.

“Ooooh, is it my turn, now?” Seven says, cutting in, and shaking Yoosung’s hand. “Say hello to God Seven, hacker extraordinaire, creator of the RSSA messenger app, and one of the two best vampires in the world~ ♥”

Yoosung lets Seven shake his hand, processing. Right. Seven had thought he was a ‘fellow creature of the night’ when he’d first joined the chatroom. Vampire, werewolf, whatever a selkie is...Yoosung looks at Jumin, wondering.

Seven catches his eyeline and pouts. “You go more for the tall, dark, and handsome type? I’m hurt.” Seven gestures grandly towards Mr. Han, who just raises an eyebrow in response. “Over there is the great Jumin Han, CEO of C&R International, both a worldwide leader in normie businesses and a household name for all witches, wizards, mages, and anyone that practices a little magic.” He lowers his voice in an aside just audible enough to make sure Mr. Han hears it. “Don’t worry, he’s not nearly as scary as he looks. He’s just a giant cat mom.”

“Elizabeth 3rd is a majestic creature that deserves the utmost care and appreciation.” Jumin agrees, “One of these days I’ll manage to bring her along. Maybe you can meet her.”

“Don’t you dare,” Zen says immediately.

Seven cackles. “Who needs wolfsbane when you already have a cat allergy?”

“Um,” Yoosung says. He feels awkward interrupting but he wants answers. “So. Now that I know who you all are, can you...can you tell me about Rika? Please?”

Everyone stops, falling still and silent, and Yoosung fidgets while all the RSSA members exchange heavy glances. Eventually Seven, Jaehee, and even Zen turn to Mr. Han to make the final call. Jumin sighs, swirls his wine around the glass, takes a long sip, then sets it aside again. 

“V’s worried about you.” Mr. Han says. 

Irritation swarms Yoosung. He hasn’t come this far for V to somehow stonewall him again when he’s not even here. “Just tell me,” He insists. He’s so close. He so close to the truth he can taste it. “I’ll be fine.”

“He thought you’d say that…” Mr. Han sighs again, then catches Yoosung’s gaze, eyes piercing. “Rika is marked as missing on police record. There’s no evidence of her having been abducted, no video footage, no struggle, no eyewitnesses.”

Yoosung already knows that. He already knows that she vanished without a trace. “What are you saying? There’s...something had to have  _ happened _ .”

“We don’t think she was taken, Yoosung.” Mr. Han continues, voice even, unaffected. “She wasn’t abducted, she wasn’t murdered. She left.”

Yoosung feels like he’s been punched. “L-left, what…?”

Yoosung looks around at everyone else, like someone’s going to tell him it’s all a tasteless joke, like someone will yell ‘psyche!’ and then tell him what really happened. No one else will look at him. Seven and Zen are both looking away, mouths pressed thin, and Jaehee’s staring at her plate not eating anything. 

Irritation swells into rage and Yoosung snaps his eyes back to Mr. Han. “Left? What...what do you mean left? Left where?!” Yoosung yells, voice cracking from stress, “She wouldn’t do something like that; she wouldn’t—”

Mr. Han doesn’t waver.

Yoosung can’t breathe. Oh god he can’t breathe. It’s not real, it’s not real, they’re all liars. They’re crazy. They don’t know. Rika wouldn’t leave, she wouldn’t leave him like this wouldn’t leave him alone like this Rika cared about him she smiled and said he could do anything if he wanted to if he tried hard enough the only one who believed in him always bright and warm like sunshine and and and and she wouldn’t she wouldn’t she wouldn’t she—

“—sung! Yoosung!” A voice echoes from far away. Distantly he can hear his own breath shrieking in and out of his lungs. Someone’s hand catches under his elbow, supporting him. Everything’s a blur of color his mind doesn’t have the resources to decipher. “God, his heart’s beating so fast.”

He’s supposed to do something when this happens. He’s supposed to calm down, breathe, count, breathe, count, breathe, he can’t breathe he can’t he can’t he can’t—

“Try to get him to focus on you,” another voice says. “I’m going to try something, see if he knows it already.”

His thoughts spiral down uncontrollably. He’s never going to see her again. She’s gone and she left. She left him. She left. 

“Hey, babe,” The first voice says gently. A hand tilts his head up and his field of vision is overtaken by red and silver. “Look at me, alright?”

The second voice starts counting steadily. Yoosung latches onto it and tries to match to it but he keeps losing it. His heart’s seizing like it’s going to burst and black’s encroaching on the edges of his sight.

He doesn’t know how long he’s stuck there but the next thing he knows a shock of something cold is running down his head, down his face, down his back. Abruptly everything stops and a heavy tiredness falls on him. He wavers in place, chest aching from the exertion and blinking until the color resolves into shapes again. He sees Zen in front of him, sees Mr. Han off to the side with an empty vial. Fuzzily, he brings a hand to his face, wipes off some sort of light-colored liquid. It smells like moss. Everything’s so slow and wobbly. He feels drugged. Has be been drugged?

A small spike of alarm gets at him through the haze and he pushes weakly at Zen’s chest until he lets him go. Yoosung staggers, but stays upright. He has to get out of here. 

“Woah,” The second voice says from behind him. Yoosung recognizes it as Seven’s now. “You should sit down right now you’re not—”

Yoosung shakes his head violently. No. No, he’s leaving. He’s leaving right now. He stumbles over to the door and turns the handle, leaning into it until it opens and tripping out into the hallway. He casts a look back to see Jaehee with a hand on Zen’s arm, keeping him from going after him.

If the maze of corridors was confusing on the way in it’s a nightmare now, but he manages to find another hotel employee pretty fast and she directs him to the lobby where Yoosung finds a bathroom and washes off that weird liquid in the sink. He starts feeling much more normal after that. 

He leaves. No one follows.

The walk back to the bus stop is so mundane in comparison it’s surreal, like that whole stretch of time in the hotel was just a fever dream. But a strange feeling persists. Probably just the lingering effects of the panic attack or...whatever that guy dumped on him, but. Yoosung shivers as he passes a security camera. Is it just him or did it move a little…?

He's still tired, but he speeds up his pace until he’s almost jogging. He wishes it was just a fever dream. He hates it, but maybe V was right. Maybe none of this is worth it. Maybe he should give up.

By the time he’s on the bus his eyes are burning with tears. 

He doesn’t want to give up.

He sniffs, covers his face, and cries the whole ride home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's written by StarlingHawke~ Hope you enjoy~ ^_^

The following night is rough. Yoosung barely sleeps and when he does, it’s filled with nightmares and half-delirious images of monsters from his childhood chasing him, chasing V, chasing Rika. When he’s awake, his mind keeps wandering to Zen’s teeth or the potion that was dumped on his head, trying to riddle out how they’re possible or why the group would go to such extensive measures to make him _believe_ that they are.

Eventually the sun rises and he’s no closer to having any answers or getting any true rest. He watches as the light filters in through the blinds, the dust in the air dancing on the sunbeams without a care in the world. Yoosung wishes he could return to a time when he felt like that.

Nature calls, and so Yoosung grudgingly rolls out of bed, jamming the heels of his hands into his eyes and yawning as he makes his way to the bathroom. When finished he pauses to glance at himself in the mirror; yikes, the dark circles under his eyes are worse today than when he was still playing LOLOL all night long. His face really doesn’t respond well to being under stress and sleeping poorly, does it? Where is that youthful cuteness that always came naturally to him?

Probably gone with his sense of what’s real and what isn’t.

He splashes some water on his face and pats it dry, deliberating what his plans are for the day. His classes start at nine, so he could crawl back under the blankets and try to sleep more if he wanted. That sounds like a pleasant lie (Yoosung knows very well he won’t be getting any rest in the near future) so he stumbles back to bed and burrows under the covers.

Through the haze of confusion and exhaustion one thought continues to circulate no matter how many times he tries to ignore it: _Rika left._ That man, Jumin… he’d said she’d left and no one had contradicted him. Not a single soul in that room had spoken up to disagree, to say the one thing Yoosung had thought he’d known for sure about his cousin. She wouldn’t have _actually_ left him, right?

Yoosung shoves his face into his pillow and screams. He screams and he screams until his throat feels raw and the tears make it impossible to do more than sob helplessly from the overwhelming despair that accompanies the idea of her just… just _leaving_ without so much as saying _goodbye_ to him. Had she been lying all of those times she’d said she cared for him and that she supported him? Was it all fake, an act put on by someone he didn’t actually know, someone whom he’d loved but hadn’t loved him back?

No, no, no. That couldn’t be it. Rika was truthful, honest and always trying to do her best to help the world around her. Yoosung still believes this; he _has_ to believe it. Everything else in his world has already either fallen to pieces or is in the process of it. He’s starting to doubt what is factual and what isn’t.

How did this happen to him?

The soft chirping of his phone alerts him that he has received a new text and he blindly reaches out, hand groping around the bedside table until his pinky bumps into it. Grasping it like a lifeline, he unplugs it from the charger and slips it under the blankets with him, into his fortress, lined with soft walls meant to keep out a world of fears.

When he looks at it, he lets out another scream and chucks it out from his haven.

Zen had texted him. Yoosung hadn’t even bothered to read past “Yoosung, it’s Zen” before evicting it from his hand, not wanting to deal with whatever the… the faux-werewolf has to say to him. That’s one of the large discrepancies he’s facing as well and he’s not sure he wants to see what Zen has to say. Is he really a werewolf? ...is that even possible? Those teeth, man. Those teeth had seemed _so_ real and they had disappeared in a heartbeat when he looked away. Not to mention the way Zen _acted_ , growling and literally baring his fangs at both Seven and Jumin. No normal person would do that.

Yoosung’s positive that the group is made up of anything but ‘normal’ people. At this point he has to decipher whether that means they’re just a bunch of hyper-devoted cosplayers with a lot of money to burn or… if there’s more to it than that.

He’s honestly not sure which option is worse.

The blankets surround him and keep him warm, the only warm part of his life right now. Yoosung elects to stay under them until it starts to feel stifling, at which point he pokes his head out to breathe some fresh air and consider what his next course of action should be. Perhaps he could Noogle some of them to see if there’s anything out of place there?

Yoosung peers over the side of his bed at his phone, lying face down on the floor and still containing the message he really has no interest in reading. Computer it is, then. Scooting over to the edge of the bed, he pulls his blankets around him like a cape and stands, padding softly over to his computer and plopping in the chair. Moving the mouse, he’s unsurprised to find that LOLOL is still pulled up from the last time he’d played; he’s never been too good about completely shutting the game down. Heck, sometimes he doesn’t even truly log out but lets the game do it for him. Oh well, no matter.

Clicking the close button, Yoosung pulls up Flamingfox and types in “Jumin Han” as soon as the Noogle bar appears. He hesitates a moment before hitting enter, blinking in surprise as the page populates immediately with literally millions of hits. Okay. That’s an awful lot to sift through.

The first article is the most recent, talking about C&R International closing a big business deal thanks to director Jumin Han, so Yoosung clicks on it and skims. Not much is said about him other than he declined to give an interview. As Yoosung makes his way down the first page of results, he finds that is quite often the only answer given about him. How frustrating.

He retries by adding the word ‘gossip’ in the search bar after Jumin’s name. Still way too many results to go through every one, but these at least seem a little juicier.

Until Yoosung starts reading them, that is.

After reading the third article about someone claiming to be Jumin’s lover or ex-lover, Yoosung gives up. Maybe the direct approach is best. He searches for C&R International next and clicks on their webpage, navigating quickly to where they talk about their staff. It’s dry, boring and basically useless, really only confirming what Luciel (Seven?) had said about Jumin last night.

Waste of time. Moving on.

Very little appears on Jaehee, most of it in conjunction with Jumin. Not necessarily a surprise, since she’s his assistant, but Yoosung had hoped for a little more.

Nothing at all on Luciel. Not a single hit. Zen, however…

Yoosung’s brows shoot up as he hits the jackpot with Zen. Rising musical star, angelic singing voice, rumors of him with this girl and that girl… Apparently he talks pretty openly about himself and his past in interviews, too, but there’s no mention of being a werewolf or a closet nerd in his spare time. He does admit to having a nasty temper which he’s worked hard to control, though…

Pointer finger tapping lightly on a key, Yoosung debates what to look for next. Despite having found out substantially more about Zen, he’s still pretty clueless to everyone else and even less sure what to think of the whole situation. He can think of one more thing that he needs clarification on, though. What was that title Jaehee had said after she introduced herself? It sort of sounded like a selfie, but not quite… Seltie? Seldie? Selkie?

Ah, that one sounds right. As soon as he enters it, Yoosung is confronted with a type of mythological creature from Irish and Scottish folklore. Well, that certainly fits the theme. Seal in the ocean, human on land, and a pelt…? A pelt that if held by a man puts her under his control… Yoosung vaguely wonders if that means Jaehee is under Jumin’s control. No, ridiculous. She is not a selkie, she is a human and she chose to work for him because it would be a good job.

He’s thinking too much into this.

A soft knock on the door jolts Yoosung out his thoughts and he glances at the time, shocked to see he should’ve left for class an hour ago already. Somehow the last few hours slipped away from him while he was engrossed on the computer. Not necessarily a new feeling, but Yoosung definitely isn’t used to time disappearing so quickly when he’s researching…

The knock sounds again and Yoosung sighs, pushing the chair back and standing. Who would be showing up at his apartment during school hours, anyway? “Coming!” he shouts, grabbing a shirt from the floor and quickly yanking it over his head as he makes his way to the door. A quick look out the peephole shows him blue hair and a familiar, worried face: V. His appearance really isn’t a surprise outside of the time of day; considering how everyone at the meeting last night had known who he was, Yoosung honestly figured V would show up to talk to him about how it went.

Which is fine with him. Perhaps he’ll be able to get some answers.

Pulling open the door, Yoosung doesn’t bother much with niceties, simply greeting him with “V,” and gesturing him inside. The apartment isn’t really in a state of guest-readiness, but neither is it disgusting - not that V would comment one way or the other. Closing the door and scooping some clothes off the couch, Yoosung nods for him to sit before tossing the clothes on the floor in his room and shutting that door, too.

“Tea?” Yoosung asks. He should probably attempt at least _some_ form of politeness instead of skipping all of it in favor of getting straight to the point, regardless of how impatient he is.

V shakes his head. “No, thank you. Don’t worry about me; I’m more concerned about _you.”_ Blue eyes scan over Yoosung carefully as though to make sure every part of him is intact. Fidgeting, Yoosung sits on the other end of the couch, casting V a wary look.

A pregnant pause ensues before V sighs and leans forward, angling himself to face Yoosung, elbows on his knees and hands clasped. “I spoke with Jumin this morning, and…”

“Why did Zen have fake teeth in?” Yoosung blurts out suddenly, unable to hold himself back any longer. “I mean, they looked real but there’s no way they were, right? But he had them in one minute and the next they were gone, and then everyone said they were these _creatures,_ and that Rika l-left me and then dumped some cold liquid on me that made me feel strange and weird and-”

“Yoosung,” V interjects in a soft voice.

Yoosung plows on as if he hadn’t just been interrupted. “-and Jaehee said she’s a _selkie_ but I looked that up, that means someone would have her _pelt_ and that she’s essentially a _slave_ so that’s not just weird, but wrong, and, and, and, Rika left? I-I-”

“Yoosung!”

“I don’t understand? She left? She _left?_ Why would she do that, Rika would _never,_ I-I mean, sh-she…” The familiar heavy weight is returning to his chest and Yoosung knows that he needs to calm down, that he needs to _breathe_ but he feels so lost and betrayed and it’s just building and building and building…

Hands on his shoulders, a face he’s seen countless times dipping into view. “Yoosung. Breathe. Calm down. I’m sorry. I’ll explain as much as I can, but you need to _breathe_ now. Please.” V’s voice is still soft and soothing, unaffected by Yoosung’s current state. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Yoosung knows this is good and he latches onto it, even though he’s also rather miffed that V’s not showing any signs of distress over the situation. “Breathe. Remember what the therapist taught you. In, two, three, four, five. Hold, two, three. Out, two, three, four, five.” Why did V know this again? Ah, right. Yoosung told him once, but it still surprises him that V remembers. Nonetheless, he follows the instructions, closing his eyes and breathing in time to V’s counting. His thoughts slow, the knot in his chest loosens.

The hands lift off of his shoulders and he blinks his eyes back open to see V returning to his spot, though a little closer now. “Sorry,” Yoosung mumbles, looking down at his lap in shame. “I should… I should be better about this by now.”

“Not at all,” V says, shaking his head. The blue locks of hair sway almost hypnotically when Yoosung glances back up, eyes immediately drawn to them before V finally stops moving. “You’ve had quite a lot of new and startling information dropped upon you in the last few days. I’ll do my best to answer any questions you have. Just take it slowly.”

Yoosung forces himself to take a few more deep breaths before pushing forward. “Rika.” One word, one name, but filled with a world of emotion. Of everything he’s trying to process, this is the one thing he’s having the most trouble with. “They said she left. Of her own free will. Is that… is that true?” V shifts uncomfortably, but the look on his face is all Yoosung needs to see to have his answer. “Why?” A burning sensations starts up behind his eyes and he immediately starts rubbing at them, trying to head it off. “Why would she do that, w-without saying goodbye?” His voice breaks in the middle but he plows on. He has to know.

“That’s… complicated.”

Yoosung drops his hands and gives V a glare. He should’ve known… “And you’re going to try to explain it anyway, right?” he asks, voice cold. Getting answers out of V is like pulling teeth a lot of the time. But the man had said he’d came specifically for that, so Yoosung feels well within his rights to push.

Letting out a sigh, V taps his knee, intensely scrutinizing Yoosung’s face before finally replying. “Yoosung, what do you know of the fae?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mercurians wrote this one! Enjoy~

The fae.

They’re not what you’d expect. Most humans hear “fae” and think pixies, think tiny winged girls who live under toadstools and make the flowers bloom. It’s true that they’re relatively small. Fae folk are of short statures, usually adolescent-sized as fully grown adults, although well within the passably-human range of body types. And they don’t fly—at least, not in our realm. They walk on the ground, they eat our food, and if they desire, they live almost indistinguishably from human beings.

But they’re not human. And if you know what to look for, a fae isn’t impossible to spot, either. Light hair, soft features, surprising physical beauty. An especially captivating personality. Often, a proclivity toward both childish pranks and acts of service. A seemingly innate skill in handling animals or plants. And sometimes... though not always, by any means... sometimes they seem to disappear. Vanish, without a trace, for days or weeks or longer.

Sometimes they come back as though nothing ever happened. Other times, they don’t come back at all.

Rika would be an example of that.

V tells Yoosung all of this, sitting on the living room couch with this hands folded in his lap. He’s patient as Yoosung interrupts him, over and over, to ask more questions or beg for clarification. And while the look on his face reflects mounting fear and disbelief, Yoosung never interjects with his doubt. He just keeps listening.

“I don’t understand,” Yoosung protests. “Where do they... where did _Rika_ go?”

V hesitates. Unmoving, gaze fixed on his hands, he answers plainly. “I mentioned the existence of the Fae Realm, right?”

Yoosung says nothing. It takes a long time for V to continue, unprompted.

“Well.” For the first time in this conversation, his voice wavers noticeably. “Sh- she went back.”

“Back,” Yoosung repeats dumbly. And before he can formulate a more coherent response, V cuts in.

“There’s more I need to explain,” he says hurriedly. “Before I go on, I have to explain more about your family.

Yoosung blinks. Right. His family. He’s barely had time to consider it, but his mind is already racing to form the connections. If Rika was a fae, and if she’s truly his blood relative, then.... But his thoughts can barely get farther than that, too tangled up in confusing threads and disbelief. Yoosung runs a hand through his hair, trying to piece it together. There’s a moment’s pause before he realizes that V is trying to get his attention.

“Yoosung? Are you listening?”

Trembling, Yoosung drops his hand back into his lap and nods.

V sighs. “It’s complicated to.... Well, I guess it starts with your grandmother, on your mother’s side of the family. I’m not sure if you’ve ever met her, but...” (And he has, but he’s struggling to conjure up her face. It’s been so long since then.) “she’s where this starts. As you know, she married your grandfather, gave birth to your mother and your aunts and uncles. But before that.... In the Fae realm, she had another family.”

Another family. Staring at his lap, Yoosung’s eyes widen. Some of the pieces start to come together.

V’s voice continues. “Another family.... Fully Fae, of course. She had children there, and her children had children, and.... Well. Then there was Rika.” There’s a deafening silence, probably as he waits for Yoosung to respond. When no answer comes, V goes on. “But she.... Things with Rika’s parents were unpleasant. I won’t go into the details, but she joined us in the human realm when she was about eighteen.”

Eighteen. Yoosung recognizes the detail right away—that’s the age she was when he met her. When she entered his life, a distant cousin, someone he assumed he’d seen at the odd family gathering but never paid attention to. Suddenly all of the details are resonating, and it’s making him feel tense and uneasy.

“There are plenty of details I’m leaving out, of course,” V says. “But I assure you, it’s not out of secrecy. I assume you need time to process all of this.”

Eyes still fixed on his knees, Yoosung nods slightly. And it’s surprising how stiff his body feels as he completes the small gesture.

“Of course, there’s one last thing I assume you need clarified now. It’s about you.” A long pause. “Are you okay so far? You’ve been quiet....”

“I feel sick,” Yoosung admits abruptly. It hits him all at once. He stands up, feels his knees quake and nearly give out beneath him as he balances on two feet. Instantly, V is at his side, a hand on his shoulder to keep him upright.

His thoughts are winding around in his head, like a carousel spinning off its axis. It’s real, he thinks. All of this, and _he’s_.... Yoosung hears V ask whether he needs anything, whether he’s going to be sick, and Yoosung is already moving toward the window at the other end of his living room. His hand goes for the latch, fumbles for it, but then another hand is replacing his own. There’s a click, and V opens the window. Cold air spills in. Yoosung leans his head outside and inhales.

The nausea sunk deep in his stomach lifts somewhat. Cool air prickles at the skin on his face, and it’s surprisingly grounding. Yoosung remembers something like that from therapy. Grounding yourself with physical sensations, when your thoughts are out of control. Opening his eyes, he tries to focus on that. On sight, on sound, on touch.

The air outside is chilly, especially in the damp places below his eyes. Yoosung realizes with a hint of embarrassment that he’s cried a bit, but he cries about everything, so whatever. There are cars passing, and he tries to focus on the smooth rushing sound in the street two stories below. And across the street, there’s a tall brick building that he’s never closely inspected. But now his gaze is fixed on it. He’s looking at the bright red bricks, the dark windows, and pulling himself into this single, physical moment.

He remembers that Rika is something called a fae, and that she went back to the fae realm, and the nausea hits him all over again. But this time, Yoosung thinks he can ride it out.

Yoosung ducks back inside. He places his hands on the windowsill, still breathing the fresh breeze that meets him in the living room. V stands beside him, arms crossed awkwardly. He says nothing. So Yoosung starts.

“So I’m... what? A quarter...?”

“A quarter fae.”

Yoosung is silent.

V stands still. The tension between them almost seems physically palpable in the air.

Finally, Yoosung responds. “But I’m _normal_.”

At that, V chuckles, and some tension evaporates. “As normal as _she_ is, but saying so undersells you both. Yoosung, you’re far more remarkable than you realize.”

Hearing that makes Yoosung nauseated in a different way. He shakes his head. “I mean, it explains m- my _hair_ , sure. But other than that? There’s nothing, right? A qua....” His voice gives out, as though his body itself is rebelling against entertaining this idea. He pushes on. “A quarter doesn’t amount to anything, right?”

“It amounts to plenty,” V insists. “Think, Yoosung. What’s something you’ve always been naturally drawn to, something you’ve always wanted to pursue?”

He gets it immediately, but that doesn’t stop him from frowning. “Animals, sure. But a lot of people want to be vets! It’s super competitive.”

“But you’re good at it, aren’t you?” V urges. “Rika always told me that you understood Sally almost instinctually. And apart from that, haven’t you ever wondered why your parents were so against it?”

“Because it’s competitive,” Yoosung answers plainly, “like I said. And... it doesn’t pay as well as being a normal doctor, and it’s not regarded as favorably, and veterinary school is expensive, and they wanted me to be a teacher, and... and....” He blinks, putting his hand back on the windowsill to remain upright. Yoosung shakes his head. All the time he spend in high school, arguing with their contradictory logic comes back to him. And once again, all of the pieces fall into place. “And.” He shudders. “That was all a lie.”

“I’m sorry, Yoosung. They thought that if they could keep you from animals, they could keep you from suspecting that anything about you was....”

Before V can finish that thought, Yoosung steps away from the windowsill. This all sounds so stupid, so made up, and it frustrates him how easily the strings of logic are coming together. The reason he could never have pets growing up, not even the goldfish he won at the fair when he was seven. The reason he and his mom look the way they do, the reason _Rika_ looks like....

What else is this linked to? V said the fae have captivating personalities. Is that why people seem to like him? Is that the only reason he makes friends so easily, some bizarre special power inherited from his grandma? And why didn’t anyone tell him? Why not his parents, and why not Rika?

He remembers the chatroom, how they all pitied him for “not knowing,” for not being told something important. And between all the frustration and confusion and fear, Yoosung feels a hint of validation. Relief. He’s allowed to think this was all messed up. At least some people would agree with him.

People like him. Or... not like him, actually. He can’t compare blonde hair and a love of animals to the teeth, to the weird liquid, to....

Yoosung realizes that V has been trying to get his attention again. “Yoosung, are you all right? Do you need to sit down? Yoosung.”

He raises a hand wearily, moving on his own to the couch and flopping down before pulling his legs up to his chest and burying his face against his knees. He has so many more questions, but right now, part of him just wants to sulk and be angry.

V moves to the arm of the couch, leaning against it, a respectable distance from Yoosung. “I’m sorry,” he says softly, “that you had to find out this way.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he mutters brokenly. “Why would they keep this from me? And... _why_ did she go back, V? Didn’t she like it here? Didn’t she...?” He can’t bring himself to finish that thought.

“There’s a lot left to explain, and we’ll get to it all, I promise. But just so you’re prepared.... The honest answer I have, to a lot of it, is that _I don’t know_. I don’t.” He sighs, soft and shuddering. “I know that’s frustrating to hear. But now that you know, we’re going to try to figure this out together.”

 

 

 

The rest of the visit goes by in a daze. V brings Yoosung tea, sits with him, keeps him company as he sheds a few bitter tears and tries to keep his breathing even.

For now, Yoosung agrees to calm down before they talk more. V assures him that he knows all of the important information, and more importantly, that every major question on his mind is one that V shares. He has speculations, hunches, small leads. But nothing that Yoosung would benefit from hearing before he’s even processed the basics.

“When you feel ready to talk more, call me,” V says. “It could be hours from now, or days.... It could be the middle of the night. Just call, and we’ll talk. I owe you that much.”

After two hours, three cups of uncaffeinated tea, and many assurances from Yoosung that he’d rather be alone, V finally leaves. He leaves his phone number and email address scribbled on a napkin, which is stupid, because he knows that Yoosung has them both. Taking the napkin in his hand and surveying the messy scrawl, Yoosung acknowledges that probably, that wasn’t the point.

 

 

 

The rest of the day goes by in an excruciatingly slow, exhausting blur.

Until sundown, Yoosung is plagued by uneasiness, shock, a visceral kind of confusion that sinks low in his belly. He paces from his living room to his kitchen to his bedroom and back again, sitting on his bed or at his table, flipping through his phone for any fleeting distraction. At a few points, he exhaustedly considers sleeping but decides it isn’t worth the risk. Even if he can bypass his racing heart and thoughts to drift into unconsciousness, he’s bound to have nightmares in a state like this.

Immediately, he understands why V gave him so little information to start with. Between the information about Rika, himself, and his family, there’s a lot to fixate on, so much to process. He can hardly follow one thread of logic before drifting into another one. But his thoughts do have a focal point.

Mostly, he thinks about the fae realm.

Of everything V told him, this is what’s hardest to believe. That there are supernatural creatures walking amongst human beings.... A few weeks ago, Yoosung never would have believed it, but he’s seen enough evidence now to ease the idea into his reality. But another realm populated by those creatures, somehow accessible from our world, is an entirely different story.

If such a place can really exist, what is it like? How could someone get there? He thinks of Rika, eighteen years old, thrust into a new world she must’ve been so lost and confused in. Was she that desperate to leave her home? Things in the fae realm must have been really difficult for her, so why would she just return there one day and leave her life behind? Leave her fiance behind? Leave her family behind?

Yoosung thinks of this while staring into a bowl of cereal he knows he won’t be able to eat. The sun is setting now, and his food intake for the day has amounted to three cups of tea, a slice of bread, a hardboiled egg, and now, whatever amount of this cereal he’ll be able to force down his throat before the weight in his stomach becomes too much to handle.

He takes the spoon in his hand, stirs around the cereal absentmindedly. He’ll put whatever’s leftover in the fridge with plastic wrap over it. Maybe it’ll be easier to eat once it’s a cinnamon-flavored mush.

In a momentary peace, as this banal thought is the only thing on his mind, Yoosung feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He’s met with a wave of anxious anticipation that feels so out-of-place. There’s no reason to panic over a notification. It could be V checking in, or his friends wondering why he wasn’t in class, or his parents calling for something arbitrary. Embarrassed, Yoosung pulls the phone from his pocket and tries to calm his thoughts.

It doesn’t work.

All it takes is seeing the words “Secret message from 707 incoming~” to set Yoosung’s heart racing. He slams his phone down on the table, nearly tempted to toss it across the room.

For a few minutes, he sits and lets his heart rate wind down again. Yoosung could ignore this text, too. But instead, pulling the screen up to his face, he finds his curiosity getting the best of him.

 

**_From: [Unknown Number]_ **

_Secret message from 707 incoming~ Lololol hey. Heard from V what’s going on. Everyone in the RSSA is thinking about u! You’re one of us now, so don’t be afraid to reach out._

 

Within seconds, a gentle buzz accompanies a second message on Yoosung’s screen.

 

_Zen or Jaehee may be a good choice if u want someone to vent to. But if you’re looking for fun, games, and high quality distractions, 707 is your man! Txt me any time, boo~_

 

For several long minutes, Yoosung stares at the messages in his hand. Of course his first impulse is to ignore them, but he contemplates the idea of sending back a stilted “thanks.” These people.... They’re scary and strange, but they’ve only tried to help him thus far, right?

Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to foster this line of communication. Keep them in his back pocket, in case he’s ever looking for a place to vent, someone to talk to, or....

A distraction. And now that he’s thinking about it, that sounds remarkably appealing. He imagines what the rest of his night will be like otherwise. He imagines lying on the couch, watching DVDs he can’t focus on until exhaustion finally gets the best of him. He imagines phasing in and out of half-lucid sleep. And that’s pointless, isn’t it? Nothing is going to change if he keeps sitting around like this.

Yoosung has read that after a breakup, you’re supposed to go out with friends and keep yourself from moping around too much. He’s never been in a relationship, much less gone through a breakup, but he imagines a similar principle might apply here.

So, after saving the new number into his phone, Yoosung texts back.

 

**_To: 707_ **

_Distraction sounds incredible right now._

 

 

 

Seven’s smile is warm and bright. Yoosung wasn’t expecting to see it so soon, here at his doorway less than fifteen minutes after (nervously) sending off his address. Shocked by the rapid knock on his door, he’d opened it to find Seven dressed in a black hoodie and a beanie with cat ears. Now Seven smiles and holds up a plastic bag. For some reason, Yoosung already feels a difference in mood, a small lightness in his chest.

“Hey,” Seven says. “I hope you like Ph.D Pepper, because it’s the only drink I’ll ever buy.”

It’s a bit forced, but Yoosung smiles back. “Yeah, that’s fine. D- do you, um, want to come in...?”

“Oh?” Seven tilts his head. “Not even nervous about inviting a vampire past the doorway, huh? You could stand to be a little more cautious, you know.”

“ _Huh_?”

“Oh, nothing.” Seven laughs openly, and it makes Yoosung feel exhausted. He doesn’t bother to ask what that means, just pushes on with their conversation.

“Well... do you?”

“Hmm. Not if you’re looking for a distraction,” Seven answers, his voice taking on a tone of more sincerity. “I’m not sure how distracted you can be, sitting here looking at the same white walls you’ve probably been staring at all day. Also, I’m not putting blind faith in a stranger’s video game collection.”

Yoosung wants to argue on that last point, but he holds back. “I guess getting out would be fine....” He reaches for his shoes, awkwardly putting them on one foot at a time while using the door for balance. Balancing on one foot, he continues. “So wait, where were you planning on going?” A small voice in the back of his mind is convinced that he’s about to be murdered, but Yoosung tries not to listen.

Seven steps out into the hall. “How does the arcade sound?”

For the first time in days, Yoosung grins.


End file.
